During the Sustainable Coastal Tourism webinar, a panel discussion was arranged in which the panellists represented the following tour operators; 50 Degrees North, Kontiki Reisen, and Voigt Travel, all specialised in travel experiences in the Nordics and the Arctic. Jaana Sirkiä, Project Leader at city of Kalajoki, was the moderator for the panel discussion.
The Bothnian Coastal Route project and the whole project area is at the forefront of driving sustainable development. The tour operators agreed on that it helps if the whole region has the same goals regarding their sustainability work.
– It helps if the whole destination has communicated its joint vision and its shared values, because then the customers will have a seamless sustainable experience when they arrive at the destination, Emma Arvidsson, Sustainability Manager at Kontiki Reisen, said.
All panellists agreed on that it’s good if the local destinations and partners have a sustainability certificate, but that it’s not mandatory.
– We want to package our tours as sustainablye as possible. It does make our job easier when a local destination or partner has a certificate. If there’s no certificate, it doesn’t stop the collaboration but it’s a bit more job for us to find out if all the elements that we’re looking for are in place, Satu Vänskä-Westgarth, Director of product & co-owner of 50 Degrees North, said.
Sustainability is more than just environmental values
The tour operators also discussed the aspect of sustainability as more than just environmental values. Culture and heritage can be seen as sustainable values as well.
– At Voigt Travel we focus on smaller accommodations and suppliers. We want to offer the best experience to the Scandinavian countries, and we believe that the smaller suppliers can offer that experience. We want to give back to local businesses, Kimberley Jekel, Product Manager at Voigt Travel, explained.
– Sustainability has never only been about the environmental values for us, it’s about supporting the local economies. It’s about taking our costumers off the beaten path, to smaller destinations as well, Vänskä-Westgarth explained.
The tour operators have seen that the customers are slowly becoming more aware of sustainability. Even though they also need to educate their customers about it.
– There’s an increased interest in sustainability. For example, customers ask what’s the most sustainable way to travel. You don’t want to feel quilt when you travel so you must present it in a way that’s very approachable, Vänskä-Westgarth explained.
– Our mission is to create soul-touching experiences and we see that we can only achieve this through sustainable practices. Our customers want to get in touch with the local culture, and they like the peace and quiet in the Nordics. We can only protect this if we invest in sustainable practices, Arvidsson said.
The Bothnian Coastal Route project, including northern Finnish and Swedish destinations, aims to increase awareness of the coastal route around the Bothnian Bay and over the Kvarken strait as an attractive travel route for both international tourists and locals.
Watch the webinar recording HERE.
Read more about the Bothnian Coastal Route project HERE.
Jaana Sirkiä, Project Leader at city of Kalajoki, was the moderator for the panel discussion. The panel consisted of Satu Vänskä-Westgarth, Director of product & co-owner of 50 Degrees North, Emma Arvidsson, Sustainability Manager at Kontiki Reisen, and Kimberley Jekel, Product Manager at Voigt Travel.
